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September 18, 2009

By Geoff Barker

One hundred and thirty years ago, on the 17 September 1879, the Sydney International Exhibition opened the doors of its main building the ‘Garden Palace’. Like other international exhibitions held around the world it proved an enormous success, even though Australia was so isoolated from Europe and America.

The Commissioners of the Sydney Exhibition certainly felt it had “undoubtedly emphasized a new era in the history of the Colony, and projected the value of Australia on the minds of the inhabitants of those older countries”. But it was the 1,045,898 visitors that passed through its gates were perhaps the most eloquent testimony to its triumph.

The main feature of the Sydney exhibition was an ornate building, the ‘Garden Palace’, which was over 244 metres long and had a floor space of over 112,000 metres. Designed by the Colonial Architect James Barnet the building included 4.5 million feet of timber, 2.5 million bricks and 243 tons of galvanised corrugated iron; all of which was lost when the ‘Garden Palace’ was destroyed by fire in 1882.

This was also a devastating blow for the Powerhouse Museum, or the ‘Technological, Industrial and Sanitary Museum’ as it was then known, for the many of the exhibition objects had been earmarked as the first acquisitions for the new museum. Only a few items were rescued after the fire; a piece of molten glass and a piece of metal from the statue of Queen Victoria.

This catastrophic event only proved to be a stumbling block for the Museum’s curator, Joseph Maiden, who set about rebuilding the collections. Just over a year later, on 15 December 1883, the Technological Museum, with 5000 new objects, was opened to the public in the Sydney Domain’s Agricultural building, situated right next to the remains of the old ‘Garden Palace’.

Thanks. If you are interested in more photographs of the interior of the Palace and the Exhibition grounds there are some in the museum collections that can be found at http://alturl.com/dgvox. Cheers Geoff.

Thanks Geoff for this information and the great photos of the Sydney International Exhibition. I am preparing a talk for my U3A Australian History class in Canberra on the Exhibition and this info is invaluable. I have a bronze medallion from the Exhibition “Second Award”.

hi guys interesting read … I think I have a plate painted for this exh opening its the only one I can find exist and would love a contact to help me please its a blue and white porcelain plate with Australia on the back and has a picture of this palace on the front ……..so any advice would be great

I have a rectangular crystal paperweight with the Garden Palace etched into the back of it. I can recall my grandfather telling me to look after this piece but until now hadn’t really thought about what it was. What is your advice?